consent

English

Etymology

Recorded in Middle English since circa 1225, borrowed from Old French consentir, from Latin cōnsentīre, present active infinitive of cōnsentiō (“to agree; to assent, consent”), itself from com- (“with”) + sentiō (“to feel”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kənˈsɛnt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛnt
• Hyphenation: con‧sent

Verb

consent (third-person singular simple present consents, present participle consenting, simple past and past participle consented) (intransitive)

1. (intransitive) To express willingness, to give permission.

   After reflecting a little bit, I've decided to consent.

   • c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

     My poverty, but not my will, consents.

2. (transitive, medicine) To cause to sign a consent form.
   • 2002, T Usmani with KD O'Brien, HV Worthington, S Derwent, et al., “A randomized clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of canine lacebacks with reference to canine tip”, in Journal of Orthodontics, volume 29, number 4, →DOI, →PMID:

     When the patient was consented to enter the study and registered, a telephone call was made to research assistant

3. (transitive, obsolete) To grant; to allow; to assent to.
   • 1644, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine or Discipline of Divorce: […], 2nd edition, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, book:

     Interpreters […] will not consent it to be a true story.

4. To agree in opinion or sentiment; to be of the same mind; to accord; to concur.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 8:1:

     And Saul was consenting unto his death.

   • 1655, Thomas Fuller, edited by James Nichols, The Church History of Britain, […], new edition, volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [James Nichols] for Thomas Tegg and Son, […], published 1837, →OCLC:

     Flourishing many years before Wyclif, and much consenting with him in judgment.

     The spelling has been modernized.

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Synonyms

• (intransitive): acquiesce, agree, approve, assent, concur, yes

Antonyms

• (intransitive): disagree, object, oppose

Derived terms

• consentor

Related terms

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *sent- (feel)‎ (0 c, 18 e)

Translations

to express willingness

• Arabic: رَضِيَ‎ (raḍiya), وَافَقَ‎ (wāfaqa)
• Armenian: համաձայնել (hy) (hamajaynel)
• Azerbaijani: razılaşmaq (az)
• Belarusian: згаджа́цца impf (zhadžácca), згадзі́цца pf (zhadzícca)
• Bulgarian: съглася́вам се (bg) impf (sǎglasjávam se), съглася́ се (bg) pf (sǎglasjá se), съгла́сен съм (sǎglásen sǎm)
• Catalan: consentir (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 承諾／承诺 (zh) (chéngnuò), 同意 (zh) (tóngyì)

• Czech: souhlasit (cs) impf
• Danish: samtykke (da)
• Dutch: toestemmen (nl) (in), instemmen (nl) (met)
• Esperanto: konsenti (eo)
• Estonian: nõustuma
• Finnish: hyväksyä (fi), suostua (fi), myöntyä (fi)
• French: consentir (fr), approuver (fr), agréer (fr)
• Georgian: თანხმობა (tanxmoba)
• German: zustimmen (de), einwilligen (de)
• Greek: συναινώ (el) (synainó)

  Ancient Greek: ἐπινεύω (epineúō), σύμφημι (súmphēmi), συνευδοκέω (suneudokéō), συγκατατίθημι (sunkatatíthēmi)

• Hebrew: הִסְכִּים‎ (he) (hiskím)
• Hindi: सहमत होना (sahmat honā)
• Hungarian: beleegyezik (hu), hozzájárul (hu), hozzájárulását adja, jóváhagy (hu)
• Icelandic: samþykkja, fallast á
• Indonesian: setuju (id), rela (id)
• Interlingua: consentir
• Irish: toiligh
• Italian: consentire (it)
• Japanese: 承諾する (ja) (しょうだくする, shōdaku suru), 同意する (ja) (どういする, dōi suru)
• Khmer: យល់ព្រម (yŭəl prɔɔm)
• Korean: 승낙하다 (ko) (seungnakhada), 동의하다 (ko) (dong'uihada)
• Latin: consentiō
• Latvian: piekrist
• Lithuanian: sutikti (lt), pritarti (lt)
• Macedonian: се согласува impf (se soglasuva), се согласи pf (se soglasi)
• Malayalam: സമ്മതിക്കുക (ml) (sammatikkuka)
• Maori: whakaae, tatū
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: зөвшөөрөх (mn) (zövšööröx)

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: samtykke (no), bifalle

• Occitan: consentir (oc), assentir (oc)
• Polish: zgadzać się (pl) impf, zgodzić się (pl) pf, przyzwalać (pl) impf, przyzwolić (pl) pf
• Portuguese: consentir (pt), aprovar (pt), deixar (pt)
• Quechua: awñiy
• Romanian: consimți (ro)
• Russian: соглаша́ться (ru) impf (soglašátʹsja), согласи́ться (ru) pf (soglasítʹsja) (agree), разреша́ть (ru) impf (razrešátʹ), разреши́ть (ru) pf (razrešítʹ) (permit)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: сугла́сити се pf, приво̀лети pf, приво̀љети pf

  Roman: suglásiti se (sh) pf, privòleti pf, privòljeti (sh) pf

• Slovak: súhlasiť impf
• Slovene: strinjati se impf, soglašati impf
• Spanish: consentir (es)
• Swedish: samtycka (sv), ge sitt samtycke
• Thai: ตกลง (th) (dtòk-long)
• Turkish: gönül (tr), rıza (tr)
• Ukrainian: пого́джуватися impf (pohódžuvatysja), пого́дитися pf (pohódytysja), зго́джуватися impf (zhódžuvatysja), зго́дитися pf (zhódytysja)
• Vietnamese: đồng ý (vi)
• Yiddish: באַשטיין‎ (bashteyn)

to cause to sign a consent

• Finnish: hankkia suostumus

Noun

consent (countable and uncountable, plural consents)

1. Voluntary agreement or permission.
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 6, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

     All men know by experience, there be some parts of our bodies which often without any consent of ours doe stirre, stand, and lye down againe.

2. (obsolete) Unity or agreement of opinion, sentiment, or inclination.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 14:18:

     And they all with one consent began to make excuse.

3. (obsolete) Advice; counsel.

Synonyms

• (voluntary agreement): agreement, approval, assent, consensualness, permission, willingness, yes

Antonyms

• (voluntary agreement): dissent, disagreement, opposition, refusal

Derived terms

• advice and consent
• age of consent
• consensual non-consent
• consentaneous
• consent decree
• consent of the governed
• consent search
• e-consent
• implied consent
• informed consent
• nonconsent (non-consent)
• silence is consent
• with one consent

Translations

voluntary agreement

• Arabic: رِضًا‎ (ar) (riḍan)
• Armenian: համաձայնություն (hy) (hamajaynutʿyun)
• Azerbaijani: razılıq
• Belarusian: пагадне́нне n (pahadnjénnje), зго́да f (zhóda)
• Bengali: ইজাব (bn) (ijab)
• Bulgarian: съгла́сие (bg) n (sǎglásie), разреше́ние (bg) n (razrešénie)
• Catalan: consentiment (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 承諾／承诺 (zh) (chéngnuò), 同意 (zh) (tóngyì)

• Czech: souhlas (cs) m
• Dutch: toestemming (nl) f, instemming (nl) f
• Esperanto: konsento
• Estonian: nõusolek
• Finnish: suostumus (fi)
• French: consentement (fr) m, approbation (fr) f, agrément (fr)
• Georgian: თანხმობა (tanxmoba)
• German: Zustimmung (de) f, Konsens (de) m, Einverständnis (de) n
• Greek: συναίνεση (el) f (synaínesi)
• Hebrew: הַסְכָּמָה‎ f (haskama)
• Hungarian: beleegyezés (hu), hozzájárulás (hu)
• Icelandic: samþykki n
• Indonesian: persetujuan (id)
• Interlingua: consentimento
• Irish: deoin f
• Italian: consenso (it) m
• Japanese: 承諾 (ja) (しょうだく, shōdaku), 同意 (ja) (どうい, dōi)
• Kazakh: келісім (kk) (kelısım)
• Khmer: ការយល់ព្រម (kaa yŭəl prɔɔm)
• Korean: 승낙(承諾) (ko) (seungnak), 동의(同意) (ko) (dong'ui)
• Latin: consensiō f
• Latvian: piekrišana f
• Lithuanian: sutikimas m
• Macedonian: согласност f (soglasnost)
• Malayalam: സമ്മതം (ml) (sammataṁ)
• Maori: kupu whakaae
• Occitan: consentiment (oc) m
• Persian: رضایت‎ (fa) (rezâyat)
• Polish: zgoda (pl) f, pozwolenie (pl) n
• Portuguese: consentimento (pt) m
• Romanian: consimțământ (ro) n
• Russian: разреше́ние (ru) n (razrešénije) (permission), дозволе́ние (ru) n (dozvolénije) (permission), согла́сие (ru) n (soglásije) (agreement)
• Scottish Gaelic: aonta m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: прѝстанак m, су̀гласно̄ст f, одобре́ње n

  Roman: prìstanak (sh) m, sùglasnōst (sh) f, odobrénje (sh) n

• Slovak: súhlas m
• Slovene: soglasje n
• Spanish: consentimiento (es) m, venia (es), anuencia (es) f (formal)
• Swedish: samtycke (sv) n
• Tamil: சம்மதம் (ta) (cammatam)
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: please add this translation if you can
• Ukrainian: зго́да f (zhóda)
• Vietnamese: sự đồng ý (vi)
• Welsh: cydsyniad m, caniatâd m

Further reading

• “consent”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “consent”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• nocents

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔ̃.sɑ̃/

Verb

consent

1. third-person singular present indicative of consentir